Down Under
by musicnotes093
Summary: When a certain prisoner escapes, Gibbs goes into protective overdrive on his team. But what if McGee, the unlikeliest person, becomes the main target? Written for NFA's Tim in Peril Challenge. Rated M for future violence.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**__** (If you haven't seen the episode 'Cover Story', I advice you to watch it first.) Well, this story would make more sense if you did. Anyways, I just hope you enjoy this fic. This is my first try in putting Tim in danger so…*shrugs***_

_**Oh, and I'm not really into research. I don't like them, to be honest. Unless I really want to know about something… Well, anyways, this story would contain fictional places, events, whatsoever, because the writer at your service is lazy. VERY lazy. At the end of each chapter, though, I'll tell you what these fic things are (so I wouldn't get in trouble).. **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS and its characters does not belong to me. It belongs to its producers. All I own is the story's plot and an OC. Or OCs, maybe.**_

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

A pair of feet ran nonstop towards the silent forest. Despite the heavy rain and the muddy trail, the man still raced. He could hear his breath running out. His thighs and knees had been cramping, but he knew he had to go on. The prison's alarm was blaring throughout. If he stopped, they might catch him. They'd bring him back to that horrible place.

………………………………**...**

"Find him!" Commander Jared Lake yelled to his men breathlessly, pausing for a bit before heading towards the woods.

It was just a few minutes ago when they were notified of a missing prisoner. Of course, in an administrative prison, it was rare that a detainee would go far from their room. Therefore, they only searched inside the building. But when they heard a loud gunshot rang outside the prison, they knew that someone did escape.

It was dark inside the forest. Commander Lake was not confident that they would find the escapee easily. As the searchers ran farther in, their flashlights in hand, the hope that they had in catching the prisoner grew thinner and thinner. The vast trees made their visual impossible. Still, they knew that they should not give up. If they did, a particular NCIS agent, Commander Lake knew, would not be pleased.

"Did any of you get him yet?" Jared inquired angrily, shouting amid the noisy raindrops.

"No, sir!" Someone yelled back. "Sir, it's impossible to find him with this condition."

Jared gritted his teeth, his face burning with rage. "I didn't ask your opinion, Meyer! What I'm asking all of you IS TO FIND HIM!"

Inside, Jared was anxious. The prisoner that they were looking for had been identified as mentally ill. He killed two people, attempted to kill another, just because he thought that the book he have read was real. He was placed in a medium security prison at first, but his insistence about his belief transferred him to their facility. He never did change.

That was what terrified Officer Jared Lake the most. That the escapee might be out for vengeance.

………………………………**....**

The man continued to run. He couldn't stop now; he have just heard their voices. The commander had been barking at the other officers to find him, so he was determined not to stop. He pictured in his mind if ever they caught him. He would be locked up inside that horrible room again. They all thought he was crazy. In his heart, he knew he was not. It might be insanity to them, seeing how he protected someone from being murdered. To him, it was plain valiance.

As he sprinted, he tripped over something, causing him to fall towards the muddy forest floor. Quickly, he tried to get up but found it impossible since a body had his right foot pegged on the ground. He didn't know if it was an animal's or a man's. He continued to stare at it, trying to recognize what it is.

"Landon," a voice silently called. There was a sense of urgency in her tone. "There's no time! They'll find you."

Landon swiveled his head in different directions, searching for the speaker's face. "Who--who are you?" he asked.

A silhouette of woman stepped out from one of the bigger trees in front of him. "Not now," she said. "Come on!"

Landon tried to stand up but could not. Again, he tried. He searched for a leg or a foot to hold on to, using his hands to feel. He found an arm. It was cold and wet, and this fact sent shivers down Landon's spine. Whoever it was, he or she is dead. "There's a…there's a body here," he mentioned, his voice quivering with terror.

"Did you find him yet?" Commander Lake growled at the distance.

"Landon!" the woman called to him.

Without waiting, Landon stood up. Holding onto the arm, he hauled the body to the side. He pulled his foot out successfully, then dashed after the woman who continued running. "Where are we going?" Landon panted.

"Out of here," she answered. "We're close to my car."

After running a mile more, both of them found her car. They got inside as quick as they could. The woman started the engine, then drove off, while Landon breathed feverishly in his seat. He turned to the driver, then recognized who she was. "Why?" he asked her. She just smiled. "Why did you help me escape?"

"Because, Landon. He lied. McGreggor lied."

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**Short but sweet! Well, not really sweet…it's just short. **_

_**I would love some reviews! =) **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:**__** Thanks for the review, guys! They really made me glad! Some are already taking a stab on who this lady is… They are GREAT guesses. ;D Well, anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to review! They make the crazy author happy! **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** No. NCIS does not belong to me. Neither does its characters and other things. All I own here is the story and the OCs. **_

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

"Yeah. I know," McGee said, his cell phone pressed to his ears. "You told me that three times already."

Ziva narrowed her eyes as she watched her workmate become more and more upset with whoever he was talking to on his phone. It was just Monday morning, but McGee already looked worn out. She took a quick glance at Tony. His feet was up in his desk while he laid back comfortably on his seat. His face housed a smirk. A crumpled paper ball went back and forth on his hands. Like her, he watched the stressed young agent with interest.

McGee sighed. "You know I can't do that. Remember the last time?" he asked. After the caller answered, he closed his eyes, attempted to calm himself down, and massaged his temples. "No. I'm not. I can take care of myself. Look. I'll just…I'll read it myself, okay?" He turned off his phone hastily, not giving the other person a chance to respond.

"Should we be worried, McGee?" Ziva inquired.

McGee opened his eyes and turned to her, as if he have just realized that there were other people in the room. "No. Uh…not really," he replied awkwardly, shaking his head a little. Immediately, he went back to his computer and continued his work.

Tony and Ziva exchanged glances. "Probie, have you learned nothing?" Tony asked smugly. "When it comes to women, you know you can always ask me. I'll help you. Well, _if _it is a woman."

"Gee, Tony. I don't know. Is that an offer or a threat?" McGee countered, his eyes not tearing away from the computer screen.

Tony's smirk slowly fell down from his face. As Ziva started chuckling, Tony turned to her. "Don't laugh, Dah-veed. It's not funny."

"So it is a woman, then?" Ziva asked McGee.

The young man nodded gravely. "She's been bothering me since last week."

"Maybe she needs your attention," she suggested, slightly amazed. "You should talk to her."

Tony swung his feet off his desk. "McGee with a girlfriend?! And you giving advice?!" he looked at Ziva with frustration. "Did I just wake up in a parallel universe?"

"It's not a girlfriend, okay? It's Lyndi," McGee replied irritably.

"Lyndi? You mean your publisher?" It bothered Ziva a little to hear the woman's name. The last time she was involved in a case, Abby almost got killed.

McGee nodded once more. "She keeps calling me about these obsessive fan mails they've been receiving. All of them addressed to Tim McGreggor, which scares her a lot. That's why she wants to talk to Gibbs. For all I know, she made all of them up. Again," he sulked, albeit seemingly absent-minded. "Probably for the next book's sales this time."

"A third novel?" Ziva regarded him with a glare. Armed with a contemptuous intent, she slowly made her way towards his desk. Tony also stood up, then walked towards the young agent's desk with a sly smile.

McGee's eyes widened with nervousness. "Uh…I-I--" he stuttered.

"Don't even try, Probie," Tony shook his head.

"Perhaps I should dislocate your arms. That would be enough to stop you from writing about us, yes?"

Tony chuckled as he saw McGee crumbling under Ziva's threat. "Thom, Thom, Thom. Boss would be so upset when he hears this. It also makes me wonder what Abby will do. I'm sure they'd be very _ecstatic_ to hear that you're writing a third book."

"Not anymore," Gibbs breathed out as he strode to his desk, then pulled out the things he needed. "Gear up, people. Dead body in Seattle."

Despite their reluctance, Tony and Ziva followed their boss's instructions. McGee was thankful that Gibbs' had come; he would've been injured if he came a minute later. Nonetheless, he drew out his badge and gun from the corner drawer. After securing these at his side, he hurried to the elevator where his team had gone.

"McGee's writing another book, Boss," Tony tattled.

Gibbs pushed the button for the garage. "Landon knew that, DiNozzo. That's why he escaped."

As the elevator's door closed, three pairs of eyes shot Gibbs anxious looks.

**………………………………....**

"Commander Jared Lake," Gibbs said casually as he saw the man standing meters away from the body.

"Special Agent Gibbs," Commander Lake regarded him, although he was nervous. "Sir, I'm really so--"

"What time did he escape?"

Commander Lake's eyes slightly fluttered before answering. "Uh…Probab-Probably two o'clock this morning. One of the guards were doing rounds when he noticed that Landon--Mr. Jake--was not in his room. We looked for him here in the woods, because this is the only way he could get out. But it was dark and raining, so we lost him."

"How did he get out of the building?" Gibbs asked, then looked up from his notepad after jotting down Lake's statements.

"That's what we're trying to figure out, sir. Our security is good enough for prisoners like him."

"Really? So how do you explain what happened?"

The commander was speechless. He had been fretful ever since they called off the search party. He knew that sooner or later, he has to answer to the senior agent. If he had known better, he would have guarded the escapee himself. "I don't know," he replied. "Maybe he had it all planned."

"That, or," Gibbs closed his notepad, then walked towards the body, "your prison is not as good enough as what you claim it is."

**………………………………....**

Tony cradled the camera in his hands while he searched for any tracks or evidence. When he saw a bloodied foot print under a bush, he squatted down and took a picture of it. He found it a bit funny to hear about McGee's obsessed fan escaping from prison. True, it was weird, but it was the kind of weird that makes him laugh at times. However, seeing McGee's reaction, Tony did not even consider doing so. The young agent had been uneasy and anxious after their boss told them about the incident. Perhaps it was because the case they have in their hands at that moment have brought back horrid memories in mind.

Tony felt a chill run down his neck when he thought of what Landon might want to do. Surely it wasn't just to buy McGee's next book. Maybe he escaped to see Amy and McGreggor's wedding. _That would be a big disappointment, _Tony thought. But maybe he escaped for a worst reason. He wanted revenge.

"Tony," Ziva called, snapping him out of his reverie. "You've been staring at that bush for five whole minutes now. Did you find anything useful?"

"Yeah. A footprint under here," Tony pointed at the print, standing up at the same time.

Ziva frowned at it. "Looks smeared."

"He probably ran," Tony suggested. "It rained here last night. That's why it's also muddy." He looked at McGee to ask him for other footprints, but he only found the younger man staring at a tree with an unsure glower on his face. "Oh, c'mon, McGee. What did that tree do to you?"

"This is all my fault," McGee mumbled.

"There, there, Probie. It's not your fault that Landon loved you so much that he ran away to see you," the older agent joked.

McGee scowled at him.

"Perhaps this is more convenient," Ziva said while searching for other evidences at a distance. "I don't have to break your arms anymore. You do not have to be hurt. But I'm not so sure about Abby. Maybe when Landon finds her, you'll learn your lesson."

"Ziva," Tony cautioned her. When he glanced at McGee, Tony could see more guilt befalling him.

"McGee!" Gibbs yelled. Averting their gazes, McGee walked towards their boss silently.

With his hands on his hips, Tony looked at his partner. "That was outright wrong, Ziva," he said disappointedly.

Ziva answered him by only raising her eyebrows.

**………………………………....**

"Yes, boss?" McGee asked.

Gibbs gestured towards the body of an old man, dressed in a Navy uniform, lying lifeless on the ground. At his left side was Ducky. "That's Lance Corporal James Higgins. He was supposed to retire next week."

"Ah. That's very unfortunate, my man," Ducky muttered as he removed a burrowed knife from the cadaver's stomach. "I'm sure you were looking forward to your retirement. Your death is very…untimely."

"Yes, it is," Gibbs agreed.

"Did you want me to pull up some information about him?" inquired McGee, apologetic to the dead lance corporal's condition.

"What I want to know is whether this man is another character in your next book, McGee," Gibbs demanded quietly before walking past his agent.

McGee remained speechless. He only felt worst. He knew everyone was blaming him. If he had not written about his team, then he wouldn't have this problem. Everyone would be okay. Abby would be safe. "Award-winning book, huh?" he asked.

Ducky smiled sadly at him. "Timothy, it's not your fault," he assured.

"We both know that that's not true, Ducky," McGee smiled back.

Ducky sighed. He was sure that McGee had been taking a beating, both from other people and from himself. The kid has the tendency to shoulder what he needed not to shoulder, especially when things like this happen. The old man stood up and decided, with their dreary conversation, to change the subject. "Mr. Palmer's been gone for quite long now. I wonder if he got lost," he said thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, Ducky. I'll go find him," McGee volunteered. Without another word, he went on his way to the parking lot.

**………………………………....**

McGee, for one, was aware that his mind's a mess. The worries that troubled him added up every single second. Gibbs was mad at him, he was absolute on that. Ziva was, too. Maybe Abby later, and Vance when he finds out about his character in the new novel.

But he already learned his lesson. This time, he burned every single ribbon from his typewriter after he's done with them. He tried not to have any of the major characters killed in his free writing entries. He didn't even base any of the other characters--beside his team, of course--from real people anymore.

However, he could only guess that what's done is done.

McGee stopped all of a sudden when he heard a twig break. He searched around him, but found no one. With alertness, he continued on his trail. Moments later, he heard footsteps following him behind the trees. Slowly, he placed his hand on his gun. He drew it out swiftly then spun around.

Jimmy's eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. With his hands up in the air, he said with terror, "Whoa. I-I'm sorry if I scared you. I was just following you because I didn't know where to go."

McGee sighed as he lowered his weapon, and placed it back to its case. "Don't worry about it. But next time, make sure you tell someone you're behind them. It could save your life," he advised. "The team's this way."

Jimmy followed McGee's lead with his heart madly hammering inside his chest. The 'point-blank' scenario between him and the cold gun was not a wonderful moment at all.

As both men vanished in the dense woods, Landon stepped out from behind a tree with a livid expression on his face. "You were right. He lied to me," he quietly fumed.

"I know he did. And he lied about a lot of things, after you protected him."

"What will we do now?"

She smiled. "I say we take him out."

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**Okay. I know there's a lot of grammatical error on this one (and probably the next), so I ask you to be patient with me. I know, I know. I should ask someone to Beta, but I'm always in a hurry to submit all of my stories that I don't have time to wait. **_

_**I'm really sorry.**_

_**Anyways, I'd love reviews! If you found something that bothers you, PM me. I'll work it out for your convenience.**_

_**=D**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**__** Sheesh. I think I made Ziva and Gibbs snappier than what I wanted them to be last chapter. Any who. I really loved your feedbacks! They helped me in considering some stuff in this fic. =) Thanks!**_

_**(I reread my last chapter. I didn't like it, because I think there was too much 'inward thinking' in it. It made the chapter a little…eh… So please. If you guys spotted something that might be a problem for me for the future chapters, I welcome you to point it out to me. I'd be happy to read and apply them! Well, as long as it's not harsh… =D )**_

_***Ooh! Who else here is excited for September 22? Season 7 premier of NCIS??***_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS does not belong to me. It belongs to its rightful producers. **_

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Landon clenched a folded paper in his right hand while he walked along a narrow corridor. He would always remember those words: "_I hope you understood why we had to turn you in…", "The two books had been doing great, and we're hoping that the third volume would do the same…", "I can't help you anymore…I cannot risk anything right now…I'm sorry." _

McGreggor had been sending him letters for the past two years, and all of them have served as an encouragement for him to live through every day in that prison. "_Me and Amy are happy now, and it's all thanks to you"_; "_if you didn't save me, then I wouldn't be where I am now"_; "_one day, when opportunity comes, it will be my turn to help you…I won't let you down." _He held onto those thanks and promises dearly. He believed them; one day, the agent he defended before would get him out of that horrible place.

However, the most recent letter that Landon held in his hand angered him. She was right. McGreggor lied. He saw it with his own eyes earlier. McGreggor was helping his team find anything to hold against him; anything that could send him back to the place where he was beaten up with no one hearing his pleads and cries.

He's not going back. Even if it meant disabling Tibbs' team, he would not come back.

**………………………………....**

"What do we have, Abs?" Gibbs asked as he entered Abby's lab, armed as usual with a Caff-Pow in his right hand.

"A sick baby and a sad mommy," Abby replied distressfully, her arms crossed tightly on her chest. She was facing the mass spectrometer, regarding it with what seemed to be a combination of anxiety and disappointment. She turned around abruptly to take her drink, then looked at Gibbs with her green and almost-teary eyes. "Something's wrong with my mass spec, Gibbs."

"What's the matter with it?"

"See. I tested it this morning to make sure that it's still working good. You know, so nothing hinky will come out of it," Abby explained, then proceeded towards her computer. As she started typing on the keyboard, she continued, "And I used a simple salt solution, since the components are very basic. And look…what it gave…me." After hitting the enter button, the widescreen at the wall in front of Abby displayed the results. "See! The basics are here. Sodium…Chloride…Hydrogen and Oxygen. But why in the world does it have a high concentration of Gold in it?!"

"Maybe there was some in the salt or in the water," Gibbs offered.

Abby turned around sharply, narrowed her eyes, then started waving a finger in the air. "Don't you tell me that. No. I always check everything before testing it. If I didn't do that, then I would be defying a forensic science law," she stated matter-of-factly. "Plus, if there had been a real gold in it…Never mind."

"So you mean to say that you called me down here for nothing," Gibbs stated rather than asked.

Abby feigned a gasp. "Gibbs! Why would you say that? Of course I have something," she said. She spun around to face the computer once more to resume her earlier work. "Even if my baby can't give us anything--yet--I did watch the video clips from the prison. There were two people who visited Landon longer than anyone else in the staff," she explained, then pulled up the two particular video clips to the widescreen. "Commander Jared Lake and Mara Isaacs. You know who Commander Lake is and what he does. I did find out, though, that he takes out Landon for a 'meeting' every three months, and these lasted for a good hour or so. Mara Isaacs, however, is the head nurse in the administrative facility. She have spent at least forty minutes on average in the psycho's 'cell' for the past three months. Creepy people, huh?"

Gibbs memorized the two faces on the screen, trying to discern whether or not one of them could be Landon's accomplice. "So what you're saying is…"

"That the helper could be either Commander Lake or Nurse Isaacs. They had enough time with Landon to set up a plan," Abby finished Gibbs' sentence. Afterwards, she smiled sadly, while her eyes were filling up with terror. "Gibbs, do you think--"

"We'll catch him before he gets to you, Abby," Gibbs reassured. As if on cue, Tony, Ziva, McGee, Palmer, and Ducky piled inside Abby's lab, most of them with curious expressions embedded on their faces.

"Whoa. Are we having a party or something?" Abby asked, creasing her eyebrows.

"Boss told us to come down here," Tony answered.

"Listen to me, all of you. We don't know why this man escaped, but we do know that he doesn't have any good intentions with it. I'll double up all of your security details, and you'll have to guard one another until he's caught. Do all of you understand that?" He was answered by both solemn and terse nods by his team. "Tony."

"Yes, boss."

"Take Abby with you," Gibbs commanded.

"Yes!" Tony triumphantly exclaimed. "Look. Abby. We're going to have fun."

"I think you're supposed to protect Abby, Tony, not harass her," Ziva stated.

Abby giggled, making Tony's smile slip off his face yet again. "What are you smiling about?" Tony asked Jimmy as he saw the young man smile widely.

"Palmer, Ducky, you're with me," Gibbs said. "Ziva, you're with McGee."

Both Ziva and McGee bolted up, their eyes widened, and their mouths agape. "Gibbs!" Ziva protested. "I can't stay with McGee!"

Glances darted across the rest of the team, while Gibbs took a moment to consider. "Why not?"

"It would be better if I have Ducky or Palmer with me. They could use the help. McGee, I'm sure, is certainly _not_ in danger."

Gibbs looked alternately from Ziva to McGee. Ziva appeared very determined not to be with McGee. McGee, however, remained quiet but bothered. Not because of Ziva's outburst, Gibbs guessed, but because of something else that bothered his mind. "Landon might go to his house. You should be there in case he," Gibbs then pointed to McGee, "decides to catch him."

Ziva remained silent but incensed.

"All of you stay with your partners tonight. Stick with each other. Are we clear?" Gibbs asked. Mumbled yeses and nodding abound the lab. "Alright. Get to work," he dismissed. All of them, except Abby, piled out of the lab and scattered, all heading to their designated workplace. Gibbs walked towards the elevator, deciding which of the suspects should be brought first for interrogation: Commander Lake or Mara Jennings?

"Boss," McGee said as he stepped inside the elevator before the doors closed, "can I talk to you?"

McGee was silent as he waited for Gibbs to answer. Gibbs also waited and when McGee didn't speak, he irritably said, "Talk."

"I need a favor to ask you. I know you might get mad at me, but--"

"Get to the point, McGee."

McGee sighed, looking more flustered and stressed than ever. "My publisher keeps calling me about these fan letters since last week. She told me that they were very obsessive--scary even. And all of them are addressed to Tim McGreggor. Boss, she said she just wants to talk to you to make sure everything's okay."

Gibbs stared at McGee. "That's not going to happen," he replied. As the elevator's doors slid open, he walked out.

"Wait, boss! I know that Lyndi might have written those letters again--"

"Then why are you asking me to meet with her?" Gibbs asked, stopping dead in his tracks.

"I…I don't know what she wants this time, but she _really _wants to talk to you about it," McGee replied.

"So you want me to do what she wants? Just to get her off your back?" Gibbs voice was rising, and it made McGee flinch a little. He knew this was going to happen, but he still hoped that Gibbs would agree. "You created this problem, McGee! You have to know how to fix it!"

With that, Gibbs stormed away towards his desk.

**………………………………....**

Landon looked around as he entered. The apartment was simple. As oppose to what he expected, it was not extravagant at all. The walls were whitewashed and wasn't decorated with anything else. The living room, which he concluded was the room he stood in, only consisted of a plain blue couch, a small coffee table, a TV right across, and a tall lamp. Separating that room and the work desk was a long, wooden bookshelf. It was riddled with reference books, novels, and other reading materials.

"Landon," she called out for him from another room.

Immediately, he responded. He found her sitting beside a dog, caressing its head with a smile. "I need to finish something up," she said, then led the dog towards Landon. Next, she handed him an injection. "I have to make sure that everything's set up before we leave."

"What do you want me to do?" Landon asked.

"Take care of Jethro. I think Timothy would appreciate it if his pet _go_ a gentler way," she said with a warm smile, then gestured towards the injection. "You can use that."

Landon just nodded, then walked out of the apartment with Jethro. With his conscience clamoring inside his head, he looked at McGreggor's pet. Jethro was just silent and relaxed. Perhaps she gave him something to make him quiet. Still, he looked harmless.

After reaching the other end of the corridor, Landon halted. He squatted down, then looked Jethro straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I have to do this," he whispered apologetically to the dog.

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**I don't know if y'all are tired of cliffhangers. If you don't like it, just tell me in your reviews and I'll try to avoid it as much as I can.**_

_**So whatcha think? Very long and raggedy, right? I did try what I can…**_

_**And you guys might also be tired of waiting for the 'Tim in Peril' of this story. Well, you'll get it next chapter!**_

_**Please leave a review! I'd be happy to read them! =)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**__** Oh sweet, sweet revenge! I won't try to say a lot so we can go straight ahead to the chapter. Hope you guys will like this! (And please pardon my lack of better grammar) =D**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS does not belong to me. It belongs to Bellisarius Productions.**_

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

As always, the autopsy room was silent when Gibbs walked in. He saw Ducky standing beside one of the examination tables, a brooding expression engraved on his face while he looked at Lance Corporal James Higgins' half-covered body. "Found anything good, Duck?" Gibbs asked, then walked towards the medical examiner.

"Nothing significant, Jethro," Ducky responded. "Our lance corporal here was stabbed twice. One in the epigastric region and one in the left thoracic area. The knife severed his heart and intestines. He bled until he could bleed no more."

"What's the time of death again?"

"It was probably around two o'clock this morning," Ducky responded.

Gibbs felt uneasy. Landon was still lingering around freely, possibly seeking for vengeance. Even if his team tried not to show anything, he was sure they were uncomfortable, too. He only hoped that all would work out good and that no one would end up dead after all of this. "We're leaving in a couple of minutes," he said.

"Okay. Mr. Palmer and I are almost done cleaning up," Ducky replied. He walked towards the washing area afterwards, then removed his gloves. "You know, Jethro, it's not Timothy's fault."

Gibbs' eyebrows creased slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Mr. Landon Jake. It's not Timothy's fault that he escaped."

Gibbs' eyebrows creased some more. "How can't it be? McGee wrote the book."

"But he did not wish for a person like Landon to be gravitated towards his novel. You cannot blame him for something that he didn't want to happen."

"You and I both know what McGee did. He wrote about us, and now all of us are in danger. Don't tell me you're not scared and angry, Ducky."

"I am scared, I admit, but I'm not angry. What Timothy did was just write about fictional characters—"

"Based on us!"

"But not _us _as real people," Ducky turned around. "We don't have any right to accuse him of anything. If we do, then we're worst than the person who believes that Timothy's stories are real."

For a moment, Gibbs only stared at Ducky. "Tell Palmer I'll wait in the car," he said. Gibbs, then, walked out of the autopsy room without any more words.

**………………………………....**

As he drove home, all McGee could think about was how to talk to Ziva, who sat wordlessly at the passenger's seat, without making her angrier. He wanted to say sorry, but that could make the scenario worst. It could just give Ziva more reason to fume at him.

Slowly, McGee steered the car towards the parking lot of his apartment. Despite his nervousness, he said, "Look, Ziva. I just—"

"Save it, McGee. It would be of no use," Ziva replied.

McGee then pulled the gearshift to Park. After he unlocked the car doors, Ziva immediately got off. "Ziva," McGee said. Ziva was already inside the apartment building when he got off the car, leaving him with no choice but to follow.

McGee wondered, while going up the stairs, if his team's attitude towards his third novel would change if they knew what happened in it. It took him months to consider whether he should write it or not, and because of what took place before, with Abby and Landon, he decided to put it in the novel. Lyndi was not ecstatic about it, but he knew he did the right thing for everyone else.

McGee found Ziva standing in front of his apartment, waiting for him. He took out his keys from his pocket, and then unlocked the door. As he walked inside and turned on the lights, he heard Ziva heading towards the stairs again. "Hey. Where are you going?" he asked as he stepped out.

"I left my backpack at your car," Ziva answered. "I need to get it."

"You can't go out there alone."

"I do not need a bodyguard, McGee."

"Gibbs will be mad at me if he finds out that I let you go."

"If none of us tell him, he won't."

McGee sighed. It would be useless to argue with Ziva about the rules any longer. "I still need to go with you. I have the car keys."

"There is no need. You did not lock the car," Ziva said.

McGee threw the car key to her. "Make sure you lock it before you come up." Then, he walked back in his apartment and closed the door.

**………………………………....**

Ziva quickly opened the car door as soon as she reached it. To be honest with herself, she felt a little guilty to have treated McGee badly. She didn't want to say those words to him, but the annoyance and irritation that has veiled her better judgment have made her do so. To cut him off when he clearly wanted to make things better was not the best of her actions either.

She grabbed her backpack from the backseat. Before shutting the door, however, she noticed a white paper lying face down at the driver's seat. She frowned at it. It couldn't have fallen from somewhere, since there weren't any papers at all—as much as she could remember anyways—on the dashboard. She took it, shut the car door, and locked it.

As she turned it over, her heart started pounding. _YoU wIll LoSe eVEryThing._ The message wasn't handwritten. The letters were cut-outs from magazines and were glued on the paper.

Ziva looked around the parking lot. Landon has found them.

Just when she turned around to go and warn McGee, a loud explosion knocked Ziva off her feet. She looked up, only to see the third floor of the apartment building ablaze. Out of McGee's window came another explosion. Ziva's head throbbed, while her breathing became heavy. She remembered McGee going inside his apartment and closing the door. He was in there. Without any second thoughts, she was on her feet once more and began running inside the building.

Heavy smoke clouded inside, while the fire grew bigger. The heat was also becoming more caustic. Ziva shielded her eyes as she ran up the stairs, hoping to find McGee. He couldn't die. He _shouldn't_. "McGee!" she yelled, even if the smoke has been stinging her throat. There was no response. "McGee!"

"Ziva. I'm up here," McGee responded.

Ziva found him leaning on a corner wall, at the bottom of the stairs leading to the third floor. McGee's left elbow appeared fractured; it was bleeding. Blood also trickled down from his head to the side of his neck. "I was going to follow you. Are you okay?" McGee asked her listlessly as he supported his left arm.

"I'm okay. Come on," Ziva coughed. She helped McGee to stand up and walk out of the building.

Gibbs would not be happy to find out what happened to McGee. Better yet, what _almost_ happened because of her stubbornness. Then again, the letter she held in her hands would have already made their boss outraged. _YoU wIll LoSe eVEryThing._

Landon has found them.

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**Oh yes, my readers. More things will come from Landon and our mystery lady. She might just be quite the twist to this story! (Ooh. Those last two sentences rhymed!) =D And that was quick, wasn't it? I'm sorry. I rushed this chapter a little bit. That's why it's all jack'd up.**_

_**Please leave reviews! There were a lot of people that have put this story on alert, and I would like to hear from you guys! That will inspire me to write on! **_

_**Peace, y'all! **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:**__** Ola! The last chapter was so short. I think I got too excited on writing that chapter that I rushed it. There was supposed to be additional stuff in it but because I was too hyped, look at what happened! Tsk, tsk. I'll just scatter them on the future chapters. =( **_

_**(OMG. The premiere episode of NCIS season 7 was amazing. The second one was great as well! All of you have to watch it!)**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS and its characters belongs to its producers. It's not mine. All I own are the original characters and the plot. **_

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

Ziva held the oxygen mask to her nose while she breathed deeply. It had only been thirty minutes since they—McGee and her—were admitted to Bethesda and yet, it seemed to her as if she had been sitting there for an eternity. She have already called Gibbs and Tony; they told her they were on their way. But what was she supposed to tell them when they get there? For a moment, it scared her to anticipate how the others would react when they did find out what happened.

"Oh my gosh," Abby gasped with terror while she stood at the foot of Ziva's bed. Ziva turned her head towards Abby, snapping out of her reverie, only to be met by an airtight hug. "Ziva, are you okay? What happened?"

"Abby." As Abby carefully let go of her hug, Ziva saw Tony and Gibbs standing behind the Goth with worn out but alarmed expression on their faces.

"Oh, right. That won't happen again," Abby apologized to both Ziva and Gibbs, then started looking around anxiously. "Where's McGee?"

Ziva found it hard to speak. She wanted to answer, but she couldn't bring herself to it. Little by little, exhaustion overwhelmed her. It didn't help that guilt also stepped in. If she have just listened to McGee, if she allowed him to come with her, this would not have happened.

"Ziva?" Tony called, his eyebrows furrowed.

"There…there was...Someone placed a bomb in McGee's apartment and…It went off," Ziva replied.

"But…McGee's okay, right?" Abby asked. "I mean, that's what you said."

Ziva shook her head slightly, her throat suddenly drying up. "He is in the operating room right now. They said that he has a mild head injury and an open fracture on his left elbow," she said, then looked away. "He fell down the stairs because of the impact. He was following me."

Gibbs placed his hands on his hips and allowed his head to fall down a little. Knowing of McGee's condition, anger quickly swelled up in him. He could have done better than assume that Ziva and McGee would be safe. Having had the encounter with Landon two years ago, he should have made a better judgment. Gibbs knew that he was one of those to blame.

Abby was gently shaking her head, her eyebrows slightly creased, and her lips quivering. She tried to convince herself that what happened was not true, but she couldn't. All she could do was hope that McGee would turn out fine.

Tony's hands balled into fists. McGee could have died because of that bomb. And even if that didn't happen, the incident still left the younger agent in a dangerous situation. Tony knew who attempted to take out McGee, but he chose not to say anything for the moment.

"He knows where we are, Gibbs," Ziva added, affirming Tony's thoughts. She slid her hands inside her left jean pocket, then handed Gibbs a folded piece of paper. "He was there earlier. He left this note."

Gibbs read the message, Tony and Abby looking over his shoulders. _YoU wIll LoSe eVEryThing._ "Landon," Gibbs declared.

"That psycho! What does he want from us?" Abby asked, outraged.

Tony chuckled. "If I catch him, I'm going to put him in the very worst situation he'd ever been in his life," he promised.

"He's messing with the wrong people," Abby said.

Gibbs shook his head slightly. "No. No one's going after him but me," he said, gripping the paper in his right hand tighter. Tony and Abby both opened their mouths to argue, but Gibbs spoke again. "Everyone might still be a target. I don't want to risk any of you."

"But, boss, we can't just let him get away with what he did to McGee!"

"I know, and I won't," Gibbs answered. "But I don't want anything to happen to the rest of you."

"Nothing will, Gibbs," Ziva answered, instilling another pause between the four of them.

"Yeah, Ziva? How sure are you on that?" Gibbs asked.

"Because the bomb was detonated when I was out of the building," Ziva responded. "And that note. I found it in McGee's car after I took my bag. In the driver's seat. It wasn't there when McGee and I got off."

"So what you mean to say is…"

"McGee's the target. Not us."

**………………………………....**

She touched the smooth petals of a black rose with a smile in her face. McGee survived. It was a disappointment, sure, but she thought that maybe it was better that way. He got what seemed to her as injuries, and that was enough for a consolation.

She only hoped that McGee would understand why she was doing this. It was for his own good. She planned it all because she loved him. She cared about him a lot! Even if some say that her admiration have gone far, she believed that their accusations were lies. There was nothing wrong with protecting someone you love from harm.

There was nothing wrong with protecting McGee from the world.

Landon. Landon had been a big help for her. It made her guilty that she had to lie to him, but she wished that he would also understand. She was doing it for a better cause. She was doing all of these for the three of them.

She took the black rose from the vase, ignoring the sharp thorn that was piercing her finger. "I'm sure he will like you," she whispered to the flower. "You'll be McGee's favorite."

**………………………………....**

"Wake up. You have to wake up, sir." McGee slowly opened his eyes and found himself inside a hospital room. He could smell the alcohol-washed floors and the all-too-sterile furniture surrounding him, and it made him sicker. Shielding off the blinding lights with his right arm, he tried to sit up. Before he could, the room started spinning out of control, causing him to fall back down. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the male nurse told him.

McGee turned his head to the speaker's direction. He was standing beside his bed, holding a small cup of a blue green substance in his right hand, patiently waiting for him 'til his ready. McGee noticed that he was wearing an all-white uniform, like the other nurses he have seen in Bethesda before. However, he also had a surgical mask on. Somehow, it made McGee uneasy. "Is my condition that bad?" McGee asked, subtly gesturing to the mask.

The nurse shook his head. "No," he chuckled . McGee simply nodded. "And I'm sorry to wake you up, but the doctor said that I need to because of your head injury. You also have to take this antibiotic for the fracture."

McGee nodded. "What happened to Ziva? Is she okay?"

The male nurse's eyebrows creased as he handed the small cup to McGee. "Who's Ziva?"

"She came with me here in the hospital," McGee answered, then downed the medicine in one gulp.

"Oh. She, uh, she's fine now," the nurse answered. "You're workmates were here hours ago and saw her."

McGee's jaws tingled because of the medicine, and its bitter taste made him wince. "How many times do I have to take that antibiotic?" he asked. He felt that something was wrong, but he dismissed it as an effect of the medicine.

"I don't know. Maybe three weeks or so?" the nurse answered, then laughed. "That bitter, huh?"

"Much worst than that," McGee answered. He was still feeling giddy but this time, he felt drowsy, too. "Do I have to be awake for a time, or can I go to sleep now?"

"Might be better if you stay awake for some more minutes," the nurse answered. "If you want, you can talk about something to keep you off from falling asleep."

The idea sounded good, so McGee thought of things he could talk about. He considered talking about his profession and why he chose it but after a while, it sounded like a bad idea. His mind went next to his family. But then again the nurse might think that it's too personal.

"We can talk about Lisa," the nurse suggested.

_Lisa? _"You mean Ziva?" McGee asked. The nurse shrugged. "I work with her," he said. "She's also a friend. Actually, she's mad at me."

"Why?"

"I did something that she didn't like," McGee answered. As he thought of Ziva, he also remembered the incident from last night. After he closed the door, he became uneasy of letting Ziva go out by herself. That's why he followed her. Then there was that explosion that sent him ten steps down the stairs. It probably destroyed all of his properties: his computer, his typewriter that his dad gave him… "Oh no. Jethro," McGee mumbled gloomily. "The explosion probably killed him."

The male nurse, who had his back on him and was facing the closed door, seemed to freeze. "I'm sorry to hear about your dog," he said quietly.

McGee sighed. "I didn't even see him when I came in," he lamented. "Abby wouldn't be…Wait a minute. I didn't say anything about Jethro being my dog." The male nurse turned around, his eyes more distinct.

The nurse, seeing that there was no other reason he could give, removed his mask. McGee's heart began to beat faster as he saw who it was. "Landon?" Suddenly, he became giddier and drowsier. Then, he remembered the medicine he took, and it scared him to guess what it was.

"Hello, Agent McGreggor," Landon said.

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**Yes. That ends our junky chapter. I admit the horrible grammar in here, so I'm just hoping that the story was not that raggedy for y'all. I'm also hoping that you guys will leave reviews for me. That would be nice. =)**_

_**Peace! XD**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note:**__** I won't hold you guys long. Enjoy! =)**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS belongs to its producers and not me. All I own is the story and some OCs.**_

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

McGee remained motionless on his bed as he stared at Landon. In addition with his overwhelming giddiness and sleepiness, he was also getting confused. "How did you get in here?" he asked.

"Does it really matter?" Landon asked, the anger in him building up. Even if McGreggor held a puzzled look on his face, he could see through it. The agent was just playing scared and innocent; Landon told himself that he would not be fooled again. He was here for a purpose, and he needed to act on it before he changed his mind.

Despite the lack of energy, McGee cautiously tried to get hold of the nurse call bell lying beneath his right hand. "No. I guess not," he answered, then swallowed. "Why are you trying doing this?"

For a moment, Landon hesitated to answer. "Because you're just like them," he said, tears slightly stinging his eyes. "I helped you, but all you want to do is to--" McGee hastily grabbed the call bell then got ready to press it. Landon, upon seeing this, quickly grabbed McGee's fractured elbow.

Waves of pains jolted through McGee's whole body as Landon's grip tightened. His mind went into a frenzy, while his breathing became heavy. He could hear the heart rate machine beeping feverishly. He could also feel blood escaping out of his surgery wounds. With all of these, his grasp on the call bell was lost. McGee wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but find no power to do so as the room spun out of control once more while the pain had his jaws clenched tight.

Landon snickered lightly. "See! You're just like Amy," he whispered. He watched the man in front of him suffer and struggle. Instead of taking pleasure in it, he only felt more wrath. "How does it feel, Agent McGreggor?" he asked.

"Let…let go of…me, Landon," McGee managed to mumble.

Landon gripped tighter on McGee's elbow, causing the latter to twitch . "How does it feel to be defenseless?" he asked again, feeling more blood flowing out of the wound.

"Let…" McGee tried to breathe out but found himself unable to.

Landon wanted to put more pressure on the fracture, but he found himself being uncertain. After a while, he let go. He shook his head slightly, then took out an injection from his pocket. "I'm…I'm sorry," he said regretfully. He placed the injection atop of the bedside table, taking few steps back afterwards.

Even if he was extremely angry, he knew that he couldn't execute death to the agent that he have protected before. What difference will it make anyways if McGreggor died? It certainly would not make a better world. It certainly would not make McGreggor happy either, like what _she_ had been telling him. Deny as he may, all he wanted to do was protect defenseless ones. Even if he himself was beat and was unable to protect himself, at least he should know better and not do it to others. He did not even try killing Jethro yesterday. All he did was let the dog go away. So how could he even think of pulling a murder off?

"Don't ever be alone again, agent McGreggor. Don't ever let her find you," Landon said as he put the surgery mask on. He walked out of the room then, he evaded anyone who might see him go out of the hospital.

Left with nothing but a bleeding wound, McGee's whole body strained with agony. His elbow was throbbing madly, while his mind was gyrating quickly. Before completely blacking out, he mustered all of his strength to press the nurse call bell. He didn't know if he succeeded but if not, he knew he would be in serious trouble.

After some time, McGee heard the door open once more.

"Is there any--" a nurse wanted to ask and check, but she was cut off. As she saw McGee's rapid heartbeat in the monitor and his face paling, she rushed out to call a doctor.

"Wait. Tim?" _Sarah,_ McGee recognized the voice. "What's happening? Tim? Let me through!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. You can't go in there," he heard the same nurse reply as doctors came rushing in.

"That's my brother! What--Let me go!"

"Ma'am, please."

"Sarah," a man called. "Let them do their job." _Dad._

"No!"

"Sarah. Come on." _Mom._

McGee felt horrible to hear the concerned tone in his parents voice. He wanted to let them know that they shouldn't worry but all of a sudden, his senses dissolved all together .

**………………………………....**

Ducky's head snapped up as the doors to the autopsy room slid open. He had been worrying about McGee's state since they went home from the hospital. All morning, he hoped that someone would come and tell him what happened. "Jethro," Ducky stood up cheerfully upon seeing the senior agent. "I've been wondering what--" Walking behind Gibbs was a lady that Ducky vaguely remembered. She had long, brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and a slender body.

"This is Lyndi Crawshaw, Duck," Gibbs stated as they reached Ducky's desk. "McGee's publisher."

"Oh. Yes, yes. I do remember now," Ducky nodded as he stood up. "What can I do for you?"

Gibbs looked at Lyndi, gesturing her to hand the small box of letters to the medical examiner. "These are Tim's fan mails," Lyndi said as she placed the box on the desk. "We've received all of those last month, a letter each day. The first ones were just a little absurd, so we ignored them. Then the letters started to become…"

"Obssesive?" Ducky asked as he pulled the box closer to him.

Lyndi shook her head. "Threatening. Most of them are death threats," she answered. "I know that last time, when I gave you those fake fan letters, I was the one who made them. This time I didn't. You have to believe me."

"We do," Gibbs answered.

Lyndi's eyebrows creased as she detected anxiety in Gibbs' voice. "What do you mean…Is there something I need to know?"

"Oh my," Ducky mumbled, his tone too ominous than what Gibbs expected to hear. Ducky held a small sheet of pink paper in his hands with three or four black petals taped on it. "Is this one of the more recent letters you were talking about, Ms. Crawshaw?"

Lyndi examined the paper before answering. "No. That's the very first one."

"Why'd you ask, Ducky?"

Ducky sighed. "_I grant you your wish--and one thing more. You have not asked vengeance upon the love that has betrayed you. But I shall take vengeance, nevertheless. _That's what it says on the letter."

"I told you that the first ones were the weirdest letters," Lyndi stated.

"No. You don't understand. 'Narcissus and Echo' is a myth from the Greek mythology. These words in this letter _are_ from that story. Aphrodite, who was apparently Echo's friend, spoke this," Ducky pointed out.

"Which means?"

"Jethro, these are the words Aphrodite said before making Echo disappear. If I'm right, the writer might also believe in the same thing. That Timothy's experiencing hardship, and the writer has the responsibility to end his life. It's possible that the writer's thinking that he should kill Timothy as a favor," Ducky explained. "I'm guessing that it might be Landon sending this. The lad's just sick."

Before anyone could speak again, Gibbs phone rang. Warily, he answered, "Yeah. Gibbs."

Ducky and Lyndi watched as the senior agent's expression stiffened when the caller said something. Ducky knew that the conversation was about McGee. He presumed that something had gone wrong, and it made him wish to be incorrect.

Gibbs nodded. "I'll be down there, DiNozzo. Make sure you watch McGee," he answered. After hanging up, he headed towards the elevator.

"Wait. Agent Gibbs!" Lyndi ran after him. She wanted to ask Gibbs what happened to McGee, but she found herself a little terrified to find out. The impatient look on the agent's face was enough to tell her that the death threats were already being enacted. "Take care of Tim," she said when Gibbs turned around. "He's a good kid. Don't let anything bad happen to him."

Gibbs looked into her eyes and saw nothing but sincerity in them. "I won't. I promise," he answered, then walked inside the elevator.

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**I know some of you may have said "What?" on the Greek mythology reference. X) Sorry. I had to add it there. (And the myth "**__**Narcissus and Echo**__**" that I mentioned is a real myth. I got that Aphrodite quote from the book "**__**The Greek Gods**__**" by Bernard Evslin, Dorothy Evslin, and Ned Hoopes.)**_

_**Anyways, it's a junky chapter, but I hope you enjoyed the fic. I'll appreciate if you leave a review for me. =D**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:**__** Thanks for all of those who left reviews last chapter! I really LOVE receiving them so please, keep it coming! =) Other than that, I won't hold you guys long.**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS does not belong to me. It belongs to its rightful owners. The only things I own here are the story and some OCs.**_

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

"Is there anything wrong, Dr. Mallard?" Jimmy asked when he saw Ducky frowning at Corporal James Higgins' cadaver.

Since they found out about the alleged attempt on McGee's life earlier, everybody seemed to have tripled their speed at their work. Abby was determined on staying at her lab all day until she figured out who might have let Landon go. "That way," she said, "we can find out where that lunatic is." Jimmy could tell that she was angry and afraid, all because of what happened. It kind of scared him to think what the whole team would do if they did find out where Landon was.

Ducky was no different. As soon as Lyndi Crawshaw left, he had been delving for _anything_ that he could find on the letters—and also the lance corporal's body—to help the investigation. He had double-checked all of their reports, wanting to make sure that he didn't leave any details out that might be essential to the case.

"Yes. There seems to be something odd with this," Ducky raised the knife in his hands, then pointed to the cadaver's chest, "and that."

"The laceration?" Jimmy asked, walking closer to the autopsy table.

Ducky nodded. "Before I removed the knife from our lance corporal, his whole body was facing down. That explains why the weapon was deeply embedded on his chest," he explained. "It severed the heart, and that probably killed him instantaneously. But then I noticed that the knife also damaged other parts."

"Maybe the murderer was just trying to remove the knife, but then found out that he couldn't," Jimmy offered.

"No. That attempt would've been an easy success. I'm thinking that maybe…the murderer dragged the body," Ducky said. He turned his head towards Jimmy, who only creased his eyebrows. "Doesn't that explain the excessive amount of mud that we found inside his nose, his mouth, and the wound?"

"But it was raining the night he was murdered. I think the mud would have gotten inside those places eventually."

"Yes, but it got farther down the external naris where it should be. There was also half a handful of the forest floor inside his mouth. If it was just the rain, it should have been lesser than that," Ducky observed, then took the clipboard lying on the side of the autopsy table. "If time's good to us, Mr. Palmer, we can still get some finger prints from the body. Hopefully, that'll be enough to help us determine who might have helped Mr. Jake."

As if on cue, the doors of the autopsy room hissed open. Abby hustled inside the room, a yet-another large cup of caf-pow in her hand. "Ducky! I need the knife! I think I may have found something!" she said, almost jumping up and down.

"You sound too excited, Abigail," Ducky pointed out. "_Look_ too excited, rather."

Jimmy smiled. "Let me guess. Third round of caf-pow?" he asked.

Abby narrowed her eyes on Jimmy, also pointing a finger at him. Jimmy's smile slid off his face immediately, and then he looked away. "You're too negative, Palmer. You're banned from my lab," Abby stated.

"Abigail," Ducky called out to her. "The knife?"

"Oh. Yes. Well, I just wanted to double check and see if I missed any fingerprints. I can't let that Landon get away."

"Understood. Although, I think we have another place to look for prints," he said. "Our lance corporal's body."

"How?"

"Dr. Mallard thinks that the body may have been dragged on the forest," Jimmy answered, then added, "ma'am" when Abby turned towards him.

"But we might need the knife for some more minutes, then she's all yours," Ducky said as he walked to the other side of the table. "You might want to stay, too. Maybe we can get those places where the fingerprints are before you go back to your lab. Mr. Palmer, do you suppose we can find prints in his carpal? You can sit down while you're waiting, Abigail. If you want. "

Abby just nodded then, she proceeded towards Ducky's desk. She had been up all morning trying to figure out some things from the evidences that the team had gathered the day before. In all honesty, she was tired. She was hoping to get a good night's sleep when she was staying over at Tony's apartment, but Ziva's call from Bethesda had slapped everyone awake and had everyone nervous. The worst part of it all was that McGee was seriously injured, and he almost died.

Counting what had happened hours earlier, her Timmy had almost died twice.

That was why she couldn't be tired. She needed to give her all to solve the case and find that—She noticed that several letters cluttered Ducky's desk. Some of the letters' style looked rather familiar. "Are these the letters, Ducky?" she asked.

"What? Oh, yes. Timothy's publisher brought them in this morning," Ducky answered.

"May I?"

"Gloves are there at the side."

After putting on the gloves, like she was indirectly instructed, Abby picked up a letter located at the middle of the pile. _Two years, if he remembers…Two months of cold Novembers…Two weeks, if you can hide…Two days before you goodbye, _the letter stated. Abby felt chills run through her spine, and she wished she had not read the letter. Thinking about McGee being in serious danger bothered her, especially the time 'limit' the writer indicated on the paper. "How long have they had these letters?" Abby asked Ducky, her voice slightly faltering.

"The first ones came a month ago," Ducky replied, becoming nervous as he remembered the messages on the letters.

"What about this one?" Abby asked, raising the letter higher up so Ducky could see them. "When did they receive it?"

When he recognized the letter, he paused before answering. Through the many that he had read, the one in Abby's hand was the letter that had been bothering him the most. "Yesterday," he answered.

**………………………………....**

Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva waited silently outside McGee's room. The doctors only allowed one person at a time to go in so as not to overwhelm the patient, and Sarah insisted on going in first. McGee's parents agreed, then went to the cafeteria to get everyone something to eat.

Even if no one said anything, the three of them knew how anxious they got when they were told that McGee was sent to the operating room again. The doctors said that someone probably got inside his room and tried to break his elbows. They also added that when a nurse found him, he was pale and have lost some blood.

Tony felt a little disappointed of himself that he didn't check outside McGee's room—stayed, better yet—and made sure that nothing bad would happen. Gibbs was not far off from the same feeling. The death letters taken into account, he knew he should be more alert. He couldn't let someone harm one of his agents. It would be a sign irresponsibility and lack of better judgment on his part.

Above all, with all of the risks the young agent had taken to save others' lives and the lives of some of his teammates, Gibbs was determined to take his turn in protecting McGee. He missed his opportunity before, and he couldn't miss it now.

Sarah walked out of the room a while later, a weak smile on her face. Tony and Ziva stood up from their seats. "Ziva? Tim wants to see you," she said. Ziva only looked at Tony and Gibbs.

"Go," Tony nodded towards the door, "and tell Probie that me and boss are just out here."

"I-I will." Ziva said, then walked inside the room.

**………………………………....**

"Hi," McGee weakly greeted Ziva after Sarah closed the door.

Ziva smiled. "You look like junk, McGee," she said.

"Thank you. I think you look good yourself," McGee nodded. Ziva laughed.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Tired. Very tired," he replied, and then sighed. "It's funny 'cause all I've done since we got here was sleep, and I'm still tired."

Ziva sat at a vacant seat beside McGee's bed before speaking again. "You are injured. I think your body needs some rest after what…happened," she said, looking at the cast on McGee's left elbow and the bandage at the side of his head. "What _did_ happen, McGee? What happened this morning?"

"Landon got inside the room," McGee recounted, looking more exhausted than ever. "He came in as a nurse then told me to take this medicine, which I," he scoffed, "took. I should have suspected something when I saw that surgery mask. Then after talking for a while, I figured that something was wrong. He said he was who he was. We both know what happened next." When Ziva remained silent, her eyes averting his, McGee added, "Ziva. Don't worry about it."

"I…I am sorry, McGee. I have been hard on you yesterday," she apologized. "I should have known better than that."

"Don't say sorry. Apologizing is—"

"A sign of weakness. I know," Ziva nodded, then looked at McGee. "But I am saying sorry to you not as a workmate, but as a friend. I was…unkind towards you, and I regret I treated you that way."

"I don't hold anything against any of you, so there's no need for that," McGee said. "If anyone's at fault of anything here, that would be me. I wrote the book, and now I have to face the consequence."

Ziva stifled a laugh. "We will catch him, McGee. He won't get close to you again," she reassured. "I am absolute on that because the team had been working around the watch."

"Around the clock, you mean?" McGee smiled.

"Yes. That," Ziva agreed. "And about your novel. It is okay with me if I am one of the characters. I guess I should be flattered and not mad."

McGee shrugged. "The book coming up is the last of the series anyways." Ziva only creased her eyebrows in response; she waited for a further explanation. "I thought that it had caused enough trouble, so I ended it. Lyndi wasn't happy with what I wrote. The readers might not be, too, but I think they'd understand."

"Well, what is it that you wrote?" Ziva asked.

McGee had half a mind not to laugh. He wasn't sure if he should say _everything_ that happened, so he concluded that he should tell her just one. "I died," he responded.

"What?"

"I mean, not me die, but McGreggor died," he explained. "Because, like I said, he have caused a lot of problems."

"You didn't have to do that," Ziva argued.

"I know, but I had to," he answered.

With that, both of them fell silent. McGee felt relief of the fact that Deep Six had gone to a stop. Ziva was, however, remorseful of that.

The door opened once more. A petite nurse walked in, holding a white tray in her hands. "I'm sorry to disturb, but the patient needs to rest," she said.

Ziva stood up, looking slightly annoyed of the nurse. "Get well, McGee," she smiled at him.

"I will," McGee replied as he watched Ziva leave. When she was out of sight, he closed his eyes, letting his listlessness overwhelm him once more.

**………………………………....**

After Ziva went inside the room and Sarah leave for the cafeteria, Gibbs and Tony were the only ones left outside the room. To be honest, Tony also wanted to go and see McGee. Then again, he knew it was not permitted, and that it was also a bad idea. He might just enervate the younger agent once they start talking. "How do you think he's doing, boss?" he asked. His question was only met by an unsure shrug. "He's not safe here."

"I know that, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated. His phone then vibrated feverishly inside his pocket. "Which is why we need to find Landon," he added before answering. "Yeah. Gibbs." DiNozzo watched as his boss' expression changed from irritation to a slight disbelief. Whatever it was being said over the phone had to be very good. "I got you, Abby. Tell Agent Samuels to meet me there," he said, then hung up.

"She found something, boss?" Tony hopefully asked.

"She found _someone_," Gibbs corrected. "She found Landon."

"Where?"

"Olympia," he answered. "You and Ziva stay here. Don't leave McGee."

"What—How?"

Gibbs continued walking towards the elevator, ignoring Tony's question. Anger started to bubble up inside him as he thought of catching the escapee. He thought that it was good that he haven't seen McGee's condition. If he did, he wasn't sure whether he could stop himself from inflicting serious harm to Landon. Then again, he should've been mindful of that when he attempted to break McGee's arm earlier.

It was, he should have thought, one of those mistakes where he could not back out from.

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Okay. There might be some cheesy parts in there. Honestly, this is one of those junky chapters, so sorry. Anyways, I know you guys might think that the team catching Landon was kind of fast but don't worry, it will make sense (hopefully) next chapter. **

**Plus, it has a reason… (mwahahahaha!)**

**Ooh! I do so LOVE reviews, so please leave some for me! Thanks! =D**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note:**__** I apologize that I seemed to have neglected this story for weeks. I blame NaNo—partly. Well, since I'm running out of time with this fic, the last chapters coming your way are bunch of quickly-typed, once proofread drafts. So I just ask y'all to bear with me. **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do not own NCIS and its characters. All I own here are some OCs and the plot. =D**_

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Her grip on the black rose's stem tightened. Anger rushed through her as the words replayed in her mind over and over again: Landon was caught. Even if the sharp thorns pierced her delicate skin and made it bleed, she could not care less. All that mattered was what Landon did.

He wasn't careful. He allowed himself to be reckless and be caught.

She lifted her quivering right hand towards McGee's clear photograph that was pinned on a corkboard in front of her. With her cold and slender fingers, she caressed his face. Tears suddenly formed in her eyes as she looked at him. _Landon betrayed you. He lied to you, _she thought sadly. _I thought he will help. _Staring at McGee's smile and his green eyes, she felt more pain searing through her heart. She could see that even if he pretended to be okay, he was not.

Timothy McGee had always been alone. His team didn't seem to care for him. On times when he was hurt, they acted as if it was nothing. They were only interested in him when they needed him. "But not me, Timothy," she said, staring longingly at McGee's picture. "I do this for you, because I love you." Her lips curled into a smile. His team—she wondered how they would feel if she took away Timothy from them. But then again, it would all be too late when they decide to finally let him know that they cared for him. "I will…I will prove it to you. Soon," she promised him, all the while fighting the urge to laugh.

**………………………………....**

Gibbs sat in the interrogation room, rearranging the files that Agent Samuels have provided him. He tried to focus on the information indicated on the seemingly few papers, but he couldn't. He attempted to skim, but even that didn't help. He thought of his team and the danger they had been faced with. He thought of McGee and how he almost died.

But above all, he thought of the person sitting opposite him and what he did.

"Agent Tibbs—"

"Shut it," Gibbs warned tersely. He placed down the folder in his hands, and then looked Landon straight in the eyes. "Do you know who's behind that mirror? Watching us? No one. Do you know who's listening to our conversation? No one. That's how much they don't care with what happens to a murderer like you. So you better give me the right answer. Who helped you escape from that prison?"

Landon looked away. For a moment, he was fazed. His eyes flickered, while his breathing came as silent gasps. Then, he exhausted a sigh. "I thought you were different from them, Agent Tibbs," he said, more to himself than Gibbs. "I was wrong to trust you and McGreggor."

"Is that why you tried to kill him?" Gibbs asked, his tone rising.

"I was wrong to do that," Landon countered, his voice slightly quivering. "I surrendered, didn't I? I called Amy for help."

"But you still did it. You almost had McGee die, and you still killed Lance Corporal James Higgins," Gibbs said.

Landon's eyebrows creased as he heard the unfamiliar name. "Who?"

Gibbs took out the victim's picture from the folder then threw it across the table. "Lance Corporal James Higgins," he repeated. "You killed him by stabbing him in the chest. Don't lie to me and tell me that you don't know him."

Landon stared at the picture, trying to recognize the gaunt and lifeless body in it. However, he couldn't remember seeing him before. When he saw the muddy trail where the lance corporal lied and the vast, tall trees that was on the background, it was only then that a faint memory came to mind. He was running, and then he tripped over something… She told him to hurry up…And then, he touched one of the person's cold arms. "It was him?" he muttered in disbelief. He looked up at Gibbs. "I didn't kill him. He was already dead when I was escaping."

"Do you really think that I would believe that?" Gibbs asked. Seeing the sincere expression in Landon's face made him slightly unsure. A part of him wanted to continue going against Landon, but a part of him also said that there might be someone else involved in all of what was happening.

"All I did was run. They were after me. Agent Tibbs, I didn't have time to stop," Landon reasoned hopefully.

"That's why. He tried to stop you, and that's what you did," Gibbs pointed to the picture heatedly.

"I'm telling you the truth. I wouldn't take off someone—"

"You already did! Two people four years ago, and that man's the third!" Gibbs swiftly stood up after slamming his hands on the table. "And the biggest mistake you did was trying to make McGee the fourth. Now, you still have the courage to lie to me? I don't have any more patience left so I suggest that you should start being honest."

Landon looked away. He should not have trusted her. "I didn't do it," he asserted.

"Then rot in jail," Gibbs said. He took the picture from the table, slipped it back inside the folder, and then walked towards the door.

"Maybe she did it," Landon spoke again before Gibbs could walk out. "She did help me escape."

"Who's _she?_" Gibbs asked. He didn't bother to turn around.

"Mara. She had been telling me about McGreggor, that he lied. She gave me the letters that he sent me…to prove it. I got so mad at him. I tried to do what she said, but I can't," Landon said. "I know Amy would not be complete without him."

Gibbs sensed the worry in Landon's tone. It was ambiguous; he couldn't discern whether it was because Landon was terrified that he was caught, or it was because he didn't really do what he was accused of. Either way, he still needed to go back to jail. _Mara Isaacs _was the only name the was in Gibbs' mind as he stepped out of the interrogation room.

**………………………………....**

"Really?" McGee asked, smiling.

Abby nodded, a wide grin on her face. "Yes! So you don't have to worry about Jethro, Timmy. He's safe with me at home. Well, as long as my landlord doesn't know he's there."

Despite the occasional wave of pain that rushed through his broken elbows, McGee was still happy. His parents were there, Sarah, even his team were there with him. However, what gave him the biggest relief was when Abby told him that she found Jethro. She said that when she stopped by her apartment to pick up something, she saw the dog barking loudly at her door. He asked whether he was hurt, but she said he wasn't. Jethro looked a little hungry and sleepless, but overall he was alright. "Thanks, Abby," he said.

"You're welcome." Abby's grin then shrunk into a small smile. McGee seemed rather pallid. His bloodshot green eyes didn't escape from her attention either. Her eyes watered. "I miss seeing you at the office, McGee. You should get better soon," she said, trying her best not to tear up more.

"Abby, don't worry about me. I'll be fine," McGee reassured.

"I know. I mean, you should be. You're safe, because they caught Landon already, and Ziva and Tony are just outside. Gibbs and Ducky are working hard to make sure that, well, you know—"

"Abby," McGee stopped her, his smile not failing. "I'll be okay."

"I'm sorry," Abby said. Then, she carefully enveloped him in a hug.

McGee's smile spread wider. Before he could speak again, he noticed a person—a woman—standing outside the room through the slit at the side of the blinds. To what he could see, she was also smiling. She was looking at him interestedly, and it made his skin crawl. He blinked, just to make sure that he was not just imagining her. She didn't disappear. He glanced at Abby for a minute, even if it was only her distinctive black hair that he could see.

But when he looked back out of the window again, she was gone.

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**I did warn you. It was hurried. If you just want to, you can point out anything that you think I did wrong. I can make that correction for you guys. Anyways, we will get to see what "Mara" will do next chapter. Why **_**Mara**_** in quotes? Well, you just have to find out…**

**I still love reviews, so please leave one! =* **


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note:**__** Well, like I said. Bunch of drafts, and they're very rough. Anyways, the 'M' rating will probably kick in next chapter. Some might not think that, but some might. Beside that, there's nothing else. Hope you guys enjoy the shivers and chills in this chapter!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Nope. NCIS still doesn't belong to me. All I own is the story is the story and the OCs. =)**_

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Ziva stared at the small window of the hospital cafeteria. The droplets of rain came profusely. They slid down the glass like tears and with the yellow lights coming from the streets outside, they also carried a distinctive glimmer with them. The darkness reminded her of the endless night that began a couple of hours ago. Soon, it would be over with, and another day would start. She sighed. She barely touched the food Tony bought for her. Honestly, she didn't feel like eating. Doing such would only provide distraction. She wouldn't be wary if something took her attention.

However, with the doctor's insistence after she was discharged, she resentfully convinced herself that she had to.

Tony held a forkful of spaghetti above its container while he looked at Ziva. "You're not going to eat your food?" he asked, smiling.

"I am not hungry, Tony," Ziva replied.

"You have to eat," Tony urged. Afterwards, he placed the fork in his mouth then chewed on his food hungrily. "We haven't had any since yesterday morning. After a while, those coffees from the vend machine didn't do good anymore."

"Yes," Ziva agreed absent-mindedly. Reluctantly, she turned towards the salad in front of her. She picked up the fork that lied beside it and used it to move the small, plump red tomatoes aside. Something was going to go wrong. She could just sense it. "We need to go back to McGee's room, Tony. Right now."

"Zhee-vah, reel-ax. Sha-rah an' hish puh-wrench 'r der," Tony chewed.

"What?"

Tony finished the food in his mouth before speaking again. " I said, relax. Sarah and his parents are there," he repeated.

"But we should also be there—"

"Ziva. Don't worry about Probie. Landon and his accomplice are caught already, so McGee's going to be okay," Tony assured her.

Ziva, despite what Tony said, was still hesitant. She nodded half-heartedly at Tony. The longer she thought of McGee, the more anxious and nervous she got. Something wasn't right. She could feel it. Once again, she glanced at the small window. More drops of rain were hitting the glass this time.

It was as if they were knocking on it, telling her not to waste any time.

Tony's phone rang all of a sudden, and it almost made both of them jump. "Who calls at 5 am in the morning?" he muttered irritably. After seeing _Gibbs _on the small screen of his phone, he frowned. "It's Gibbs," he told Ziva before answering the phone. "Hello?"

………………………………**....**

Mara Isaacs glanced at her watch. 4:50 am. They had been keeping her for almost six hours now, and yet no one had come to ask her these 'questions' they mentioned when they arrested her. Her late age was taking a toll on her, making her sleepy and a little bit pained at the same time. To what she could remember, she have not done anything wrong. She only had been doing what she was supposed to do.

As if on cue, Gibbs came in, a blank expression on his face. "Mara Isaacs," he said. "That you?"

Mara nodded. "Yes."

Gibbs took a moment to examine her feature. Her eyes had sunken lower. The wrinkles on her face were more distinct compared to when he saw her in the video from the prison. He also noticed how she appeared uncomfortable, vulnerable. "You were the nurse working with Landon?"

"Mr. Jake. Yes," she answered, nodding again when she recalled.

"You're the one who helped him escape then?"

"What? Escape?" Mara echoed, stunned. "Is this why you arrested me? You think I helped him?"

"We _know _you did."

"I didn't. I-I couldn't—"

"He told us that you were the one who let him out! See, he's not going to let you drag him down," Gibbs asserted, his tone escalating.

Mara could hear her heart hammering madly inside her chest. Her eyes stung with tears before she spoke again. "I couldn't have done what you're accusing me. I was—"

"And you even want to kill my agent? You threaten him then you pull out Landon to help you?"

"No!" Mara said, her tears now streaming freely down her cheeks. "Would you just let me finish?"

"No. You're done." Gibbs then stood up. "You've been done since you decided to plant a bomb in McGee's apartment."

"A bomb? What—"

"Agent Gibbs," Agent Samuels quietly called after opening the door a little. "Landon's here."

"Let him in, Agent Samuels," Gibbs replied then glanced pointedly at Mara.

Agent Samuels vanished from the door. "They're in there. Go," they heard him say.

"Ma…Mara's in there?" Landon asked.

"Yes. Go on."

With the agent's direction, Landon stepped inside the interrogation room. He was unsure whether to smile or not. He was glad that they caught her, because it meant that McGreggor would be safe at last. If Mara was out of the way, everything would be okay. Amy would be happy, and Agent Tibbs, Lisa and Tommy. Everybody. However, when he saw Mara, he only creased his eyebrows. There was a fleeting shadow of unfamiliarity that passed by his face.

For a split second, when Landon started to look back and forth from him to Mara, Gibbs felt uneasy.

"That's not Mara," Landon managed to say though astonished. "You said you got her. You said you…You didn't."

"What do you mean that that's not her?" Gibbs asked. "She _is _Mara Isaacs."

"Yeah, but I…"

"You mean you don't know her?"

"I've seen her a couple of years ago, but she's not the one," Landon said.

"Look. I think you got the wrong person," Mara interjected, "and that's what I've been trying to say. For some months, yes, I was in charge of Landon. But I've retired three years ago. I haven't been working for the facility for years."

A slight dread dawned on Gibbs. He could remember the video clearly, and the woman with them was the one he saw. The white wisps of hair, her mild nature, her face, it was all her. He could not have made a mistake.

"This is how she planned it, isn't it?" Landon smiled with disbelief. "She set me up. She killed that man and made it look like I did it. She helped me get away so I would be then one blamed and not her. That's why she let me in at that hospital. Mara told me that if ever I failed, she will finish it. She won't stop, Agent Tibbs. Not until he's dead."

Gibbs glared at Landon. There was that feeling lurking around him again, an anxious truth that hung heavily on his shoulders. It was telling him that something was wrong, and Gibbs knew he couldn't take any risks. If "Mara" had the determination to take off McGee by detonating an explosive, then she was the type of person who would carry it to the end.

Before hurrying out of the room, Gibbs drew out his phone and dialed Tony's number. When he left, Mara checked her watch again. 5:00 am.

………………………………**....**

"Hello?"

"Where are you?" Gibbs asked.

"Boss?"

"Tony, where are you?"

Tony furrowed his eyebrows, a little bewildered by the question. "What do you mean?" Tony laughed slightly. "We're still in the hospital. Actually, uh, boss, we were kind of hungry, we're in the cafeteria."

"No one's with McGee?" Gibbs asked agitatedly.

"His family's with him," Tony answered. Alarmed by Gibbs' outburst, he asked, "Is there anything wrong?"

Gibbs watched the elevator doors calmly slide open then, he rushed out of the lobby, through the copious rain, and towards his car. All the while, Landon's words replayed in his mind. _This is how she planned it…That's why she let me in at that hospital. _"We arrested the wrong person. The lunatic is still out, and she might just be in there."

Tony was dumbfounded while Ziva, seeing the shocked expression on his face, got the affirmation she feared.

………………………………**....**

Annah hummed joyously while she drove her small SUV. She have always enjoyed traveling through the rain. She loved the rhythm that raindrops make as they collide with the windshield, the coolness of the air that always soothed her, and the dimness it always came with. It had been a while since she felt that content, like she was doubtless of victory coming to her hands.

Carefully, she reached to the backseat. "It won't be long, Timothy. It won't be long," she whispered as she felt his fingers touch hers. She did not expect him to answer. She knew she was glad too, anyways. While placing back her hand to the steering wheel, she knocked down the bottle of chloroform that she used only a few minutes ago.

Annah ignored it. She only thought about her angel lying down at the backseat. "We'll be together," she said then, she smiled.

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**First of all, I was watching the "Monk" finale when I was speed-typing this, so please pardon the typographical errors! =) Second, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter, creepier things **_**might **_**happen so… **

**Please leave comments! I love them! =* **


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note:**__** If you're wondering how Annah got in the hospital (and *gasp!* take McGee with her), this chapter might help in answering that. Once again, rapidly (almost) written chapter! Enjoy, my lovely readers!**_

_**WARNING:**__** To an extent, the opening part is rough. There's no sexual stuff in here (I doubt that I'd write something like that—EVER), but what Annah does to Tim is very inhumane. Some might think that I'm overreacting, but it's "better safe than sorry". This is when the M-rating kicks in, and where the title is explained.**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners. All I own here is the story and some OCs. **_

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McGee woke up to the putrid smell of blood and sweat which polluted the warm air in the place where he lied. He also noticed the hint of soil, its scent, mingled with it. However, when he opened his eyes, there was only pure darkness. He sought for some kind of reassurance that he was still safe, a slit of light perhaps, to quench the panic slowly imposed in him.

But he found none.

He tried to move his hands, to make sure that he was not bound, but he felt that he was constricted by what seemed to be walls. He kicked weakly, but his feet only landed on another flat surface. _Where am I? _he thought. For a moment, he only listened—observed—to his surroundings, like how his training at NCIS taught him to do. He could hear a muffled sound, like the sound of a static channel on a TV. Other than that, there was nothing else.

He used his hands to feel these "walls". They were soft, like pillows, but the material of its cloth was a little rough. The flat pillow beneath his neck also felt the same way. Moving a little to the side, he freed his right hand to reach upward. The amount of weight that shifted to his left side drove his brain into a pained frenzy as his fracture opened up a little bit more. He winced, but still attempted to find out where he was. The one 'wall' above was also the same, although that one was curved.

He tried to put all of those together. All the while, he also recalled what happened before he fell asleep. The memory was a blur. He could only remember a nurse coming in to transfer him to another room. After helping him into a wheel chair, they proceeded out of the room; his family was even outside. Then they went inside the elevator where there was another nurse. He had seen her before. She was watching him when Abby visited. The friendly smile on her face, however, erased all of his suspicion. Then when the door closed, everything went…There was an injection stabbed to his nurse's neck…And a handkerchief drenched with some type of liquid…Everything blacked out.

He woke up wherever he was.

McGee's heart started to race. Small space. Slightly soft walls. A pillow. A lid. He was inside a casket. He mustered all of the energy he had left to push up the cover. For all he knew, he only had a couple of minutes left for air. He kicked again, but the small space seemed to restrain them more. Warm sweat trickled down from his neck, while blood freely flowed out from his injuries.

"H…help," he said as he pounded desperately on the casket. "Help. Please. Let…Let me out of here!"

Just the notion of dying in there revolted him. It didn't help that he imagined maggots looming in either. There was also a possibility that no one might find him, and this was the thought that scared him the most. _You'll live, Tim, _he convinced himself. _You'll live._

All he could smell now was the scent of his own blood. The warm air was slowly compressing onto him that he began to doubt. His family—he wondered if he would see them again. His mom, dad, and Sarah. Abby and Tony. Jimmy. Ducky. "Let me out of here, please!" _Boss. Ziva. Please._

………………………………**....**

"Gibbs. They said that Lake left an hour ago," Ziva reported after closing her phone shut.

Despite the superfluous rain and a threatening weather, Gibbs stepped on the gas pedal determinatively. Something was telling him that time was running out. "Start talking," he commanded Landon, who silently sat at the backseat with Tony.

"About what?"

"About what she mentioned, what she did, what she wanted," Gibbs answered. "We don't have any time to lose."

"Uh…" Landon dug through his memory, his heart pounding. "She kept telling me that McGreggor was lying—"

"You've told us that already," Gibbs interjected. "Something else."

"Well, she…She said that she's doing this because she cared," he attempted.

"Go on," Ziva urged firmly.

"She… I-I remember. She said that she prepared something special for McGreggor. That, and a wonderful place for him."

"She might've brought him there," Tony said. "Where is it?"

"And what is that _something special?" _Ziva inquired.

"A casket. She showed me that casket," Landon fearfully reminisced. "She said she's going to take him where angels are."

Ziva and Tony exchanged glances. Although it was unspoken, they worried gravely. Gibbs was not different. Death was lurking around, waiting to claim one of his people. This could not be happening again. _I thought you've learned your lesson, Gibbs, _a familiar voice whispered to him. _I guess Jenny and I, we're not enough? _Kate asked. _Not this time, Kate. Not this time, _he answered her.

Tony's phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly drew it out. He was hoping that somehow, it would be McGee calling to tell him that he was somewhere safe. "DiNozzo," he said swiftly.

"_Tony,_" Abby answered, her voice evident of anxiousness. "_Have you found him yet?_"

"No, Abby. Not yet," Tony said regretfully.

"_W-Well, I watched the videos again, from the prison, and compared it with their log record. With the time in the video factored in, 'Mara Isaacs'' sign-in time didn't check out, but it did with their 2004 to 2005 record." _

"So that means?"

_"Someone was using nurse Isaacs' ID to get in, or someone was letting it be used. Either way, Landon wasn't lying when he said that Mara Isaacs isn't Mara the lunatic. Ducky called Bethesda, by the way, to check their employee time-in, since, you know, Landon said she let him in. I mean, that's just me, making assumptions and stuff. Sometimes I think it's good but sometimes—"_

"Abby?" Tony interrupted, preventing further digression.

_"Sorry. Anyways, they said that between 1 to 5 am earlier, there were only three people that signed in. Only two of them were nurses, and one of them was the one found in the elevator with a syringe on her neck. It only leaves Annah Corbett."_

"Corbett?" Tony echoed. "I've heard of that name before."

"Jared Brenner," Gibbs stated, "or Adrian Corbett, if you prefer."

_"I searched," _Abby added, unaware of Gibbs' answer, "_and I found out that Annah was Adrian Corbett's wife."_

"Thanks, Abby."

_"Wait. Tony?"_

"Yeah?"

Abby paused. _"Bring him home safe," _she pleaded.

Tony's lip curled to a bitter smile. "We will. Don't worry," he reassured.

_"Be careful."_

Tony nodded. "Okay." Then, Abby hung up. "Abby watched the video again. It's not Mara Isaacs. Someone had been using her name.

"Where angels are," Gibbs restated pensively. "Wherever that is, Annah took McGee there."

"Anything else you can remember Landon?"

"No. I'm sorry."

_Casket and angels. _When the place popped up in his head, Gibbs sharply veered the steering wheel, causing his passengers to hold on to their seats tightly. "DiNozzo. Call Agent Samuels and tell him to meet us at Angelbridge," he said. "She took him to a cemetery."

Tony felt as if a bucket of iced water was poured on him. "How far, Gibbs?" Ziva asked, her firm façade slowly deteriorating.

"Thirty miles," Gibbs answered before flooring the gas pedal.

………………………………**....**

Annah gently removed the distinctive gold ring from her finger. Adoringly, she stared at the soaked dark soil. Then, she placed the ring on the ground. She savored its softness beneath her fingers, the water drops that caressed her face, and the glorious thought that Timothy was finally where he belonged. He was home.

"Why are you doing this to him?" Jared Lake asked while he panted, clutching the shovel's handle to his quivering body. "I thought you said that you were only after Landon."

Annah glanced at him over her shoulders. "Because Timothy's a sweetheart," she answered softly. "He doesn't belong with us anymore."

"Annah, think about his family," Jarred tried. "Think about the people that loves him."

"Nobody loves him but me," Annah lividly asserted. "I'm his only family. I'm the only love of his life. I. Am. Everything. That's why I have to do this."

Jared felt more remorse and regret. He had been questioning himself why he helped her. The NCIS agent underneath did not deserve to die. Although, there might still be time. What was holding him back? Cautiously, he lifted up the shovel. A little force with it would knock her asleep.

"Did I tell you that at the time of my death, the evidences against you would go out to the FBI?" Annah asked calmly while drawing circles on the mud with her finger. Jared froze. She smiled. "Not only that, your family would also be privileged to see some pictures of you and your mistress. Maureen Archer, am I right? I thought she was a cute woman for you." She stood up slowly. Balancing her weight, she faced him. She scornfully glared at the shovel, although the smile on her face didn't falter. "So I wouldn't do that if I were you, Commander Lake."

Jared looked away, unable to bear her mocking words. He did not want to be an aid to a murder, but he didn't want his family to break apart either. "Good boy," Annah whispered to him, patting him lightly on the cheeks.

"Help…He… 'ease… Let me out of here!" a slurred voice came from under the ground. It was desperate, Jared noted, but above all, it was terrified.

"Let him go," he tried once more.

"He would understand someday," Annah replied. Her feet led her away afterwards, taking her back to her small SUV. "Let him be."

Hesitantly, Jared Lake followed, dragging the murder weapon through the mud with his filthy hands.

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**Like I noted at the first chapter, I'm a lazy author. So, I make up stuff. As you could probably tell by now, Angelbridge Cemetery is a make believe place. It's a product of my cheesy imagination. =) I also acknowledge the fallacies in this chapter, like why and how in the world did Landon get in the car with Team Gibbs. I'll leave that one to your imagination. =D**

**I forgot to mention last chapter that we're going to play with time here a little bit, too. For example: one place could have a different time (hospital cafeteria-5 am; last chapter) than another place (NCIS interrogation room-4:50 am; last chapter). So, right now, you could hate me if you want to. Although, I'd say, we'll have that again next chapter. Sorry.**

**Don't forget to leave reviews! =)**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note:**__** Long chapter. Jacked up. Please enjoy!**_

_**WARNING:**__** There's another M rating moment here. Just want to let you know. **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS does not belong to me. It belongs to its rightful owners.**_

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Only a couple of minutes have passed but for McGee, it felt like an eternity. His strength was gradually draining out of him. His arms ached a lot, and his head was violently throbbing. His breathing was forced; it felt like he was sucking air out of a small plastic bag. Words have failed to come up from his throat anymore as it was slowly drying up.

He placed his right arm down. Exhaustion and drowsiness have started to overwhelm every inch of his body, and it sent his hope into oblivion. McGee closed his eyes. It was no use to fight anymore. This had been his consequence since the beginning, since he wrote the book, and he knew well enough that the responsibility was his. Other people should not get involved. If he couldn't overcome what was taking place, he should not expect other people to pull him out of it.

There was no other choice but to surrender.

Surprisingly, he was becoming more relaxed. He didn't know why, but that was how he felt. Then, his worries and terror fled away from him, and there was only calmness. One by one, he began to forget the faced of the people engraved in his memory. His mother, his father. Sarah. Abby. Tony. Jimmy. Director Vance. Ducky. Gibbs. Ziva. He also remembered Kate and Jenny, although the seemed far away from him now.

………………………………**....**

Annah looked upward to the sky and watched the dense, dark clouds shift to the left. A hint of light was contaminating the all too perfect dimness. It made her frown, thinking that she could have gotten Timothy earlier so that no one would see them after they leave the cemetery.

She turned her head to the left and gazed at the countless tombstones that lied ahead. Adrian was there, somewhere. She could remember his face—how handsome and lovely it was—and it saddened her. He loved her a lot, and she loved him, too. He always made sure that she knew that. She missed his voice dearly, and his kisses. Adrian was her special life, an exclusive blessing that only belonged to her. But now that he was gone, she loved someone else.

Annah was sure that he would understand that.

"They're here," Jared said, bolting up on his seat. "The NCIS agents. They're here."

Annah tore her gaze away from the tombstones irritably. She pulled the glove compartment open, then drew out a gun. Jared's eyes widened. Before he could snatch the weapon away from her, she was already directing it towards him. "Out of the car," she said.

"What—"

"Out. Now."

Gibbs' team and Samuels' team got out of their cars, the latter team having their gun at the ready as they focused on Annah's car alertly. Annah and Jared also came out. Swiftly, Samuels' team raised their weapons. Ziva did the same, but Gibbs did not. McGee was nowhere in sight, and he was absolute that they needed her alive above everything else.

"Annah Corbett?" Gibbs asked through the heavy rain. She only glared at him. He took a step forward, only to be halted by the threatening gun pointed to him.

"Stay where you are," Annah said, "or I'll take him out."

"Let go of Jared, Annah. He doesn't need to be involved."

"And what? You're going to shoot me after? I'm not stupid," she said, pressing the gun farther to Jared's back.

"Gibbs," Ziva called. "I can take her."

Gibbs shook his head. "You're surrounded. You can't escape anymore," he insisted. He saw Annah's eyes sweep through the faces of the agents standing by. Not once did her eyes flicker.

She glanced at the skies again and as she expected, more blurry daylight had come. "I've done what I need to," she replied softly. "I'm not scared."

The glimpse of contentment that swung by her eyes told Gibbs how all would end, and it alarmed him. He had to act fast. "Where's McGee?" he asked.

"Now you care?" Annah scoffed scornfully. "What fake people you are."

"Annah. Tell us where Tim is."

"You're just going to make him miserable again," she shook her head. "I've seen ho you people are. All of you are far worst than I am. I'm doing Timothy a favor. Leave him to it because he's happy now."

"Whatever you're thinking—"

"I _know _what I'm doing!" she asserted. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You're a joke. You think you're everything. You think that you can do anything. You think that you could just slam anyone you want just because you're that great? Well, you're not. Two people have died because of you. I know that. Kate and Jenny will never forgive what you did."

"Hey!" Ziva yelled after she saw what Annah was trying to do.

Annah rotated towards her. "And you," she began, her eyes watering with the heartbreak she was feeling. "Do you know what's going to happen to Timothy? He's going to die because of you. And you're never see him again."

Ziva became more incensed. At the same time, it made her think. She lost her focus on hr target for a second.

"You won't find him again," Annah nodded, as if what she said was for a fact.

"Annah," agent Samuels began. "Whatever it is that was done to agent McGee, I'm sure it was never intentional. Whatever it is that anyone did to you, too, may not be meant to happen." He saw Annah thinking, and it told him that he was victorious of his attempt. He glanced at Gibbs, who only gave him a nod.

"But no one's sorry about it," Annah replied. "No one cares."

"How would you know?" Gibbs calmly continued. He took more steps forward. Annah's gun was unable to stop him. "How do you know that what you're doing to Tim is right?"

Annah's hands quivered. "Because he's better off without the world, without people like us. He's happy now."

"Did you ask him? Did he tell you that?" Annah shook her head, mixture of tears and raindrops sliding down her cheeks. "None of us can tell of we don't ask. Annah, where is he? Where is McGee?"

Annah thought about what Gibbs said over and over. She was absolute that it was what Timothy needed before, so why did she doubt now? If she let him go back to them and allow them to lock her up, like what happened to Landon, Timothy would feel horrible again. He would be left with these people who only paid attention to him when they were in need.

But why did they bother to run after her if they didn't care? Was it because they wanted to show that they did? Pretend that they did? It had to be that. However, the warmth and anxiety in Gibbs' eyes perplexed her. The longing and regret on Ziva's face made her doubt. Even these other people that Timothy probably was not close to, there was something in their expressions also.

Did she fail? Was she taking something away from Timothy that she was unaware of? Above all things, she did not want to do that. She only wanted what was best for the person she loved. Once her grip loosened, Jared ran away from her and went towards the opposite side.

There was only disbelief in Annah's face. She looked up to Gibbs. "You're right," Annah told him with a sad smile. "I can't."

"Annah, no!" Jared yelled but before he could stop her, she had already fallen dead to the ground because of the shot she inflicted herself. He collapsed on his knees, the sound still ringing through his ears.

Ziva lowered her gun. She did not know what to make of what she had seen, but she knew she would remember it for a long time. Tony stepped outside of the car. He looked upon Annah's lifeless body lying on the mud, the blood issuing from her mouth and nose mingling with the murky puddles.

"She buried him," Jared said, remembering the agent they left under the ground some minutes ago. "I had to follow her. She told me to put him into a casket. He's four feet underground, and I'm not sure of he's still alive."

"Where is her?" Tony asked nervously.

"Back there. Meters away from the shovel."

Without waiting for Jared to continue, Gibbs ran towards the place. _And you said it won't happen again this time, _Kate pointed out to him.

………………………………**....**

When McGee opened his eyes again, it wasn't dark anymore. The walls of the casket and of the soil that was just above it were still there, but he could see bright clouds ahead. He sat up, and wondered why he didn't feel pain anymore. He checked his left elbow, but saw that the cast wasn't there. He wasn't even wearing a hospital gown. Instead, he was clad in his usual office suit.

"I see you're having fun, agent McGee?" someone familiar jovially asked.

McGee sought for the person and then, he smiled when he saw who it was. "Director Shepard."

"How are you, Tim?" Jenny asked as she sat down on the grass some feet above him.

"I'm better," he replied, then hurriedly added, "ma'am. You?"

"Not so good, since you're making me sound old by calling me 'ma'am'."

"Oh. Sorry. What should I call you then, ma'am?"

Jenny laughed softly. "I'll settle with Jenny," she answered, reciprocating his smile. She examined the place where Tim sat, and it made the latter crease his eyebrows. "How did you get yourself into this mess, Tim?" she asked.

McGee shrugged. "I don't know," he answered while he looked at the dirt inside the casket. "I think someone put me here. That was your question, right? Madam D—I mean, Jenny?"

"No. I was wondering why someone's going after you."

"Oh. W-Well, I guess…it was my book. I wrote too much," he answered, and then yawned. He was getting tired again.

Jenny nodded. "I know. Gibbs and I were there, am I right?"

"Ye—I mean, no," McGee lied.

"You're a good writer," Jenny said, "but a really bad liar." McGee scratched his head, and it made her chuckle. "You shouldn't be here," she added afterwards. "Go back to your family."

"I don't have any choice," McGee answered. "I'm stuck."

"I can see that," Jenny said. "I never knew you would stay long in a coffin. Of course, Miss Sciuto could've influenced you."

McGee creased his eyebrows again. Miss Sciuto. He have heard of that name before. _Who was that again? _"Director Shepard—"

"You're tired?" Jenny asked. "I know."

"Why is this place like this?" McGee inquired, all the while absorbing that beautiful and vivid landscape that extended to the horizon.

"Like what?"

"Beautiful," McGee yawned.

"Because that's what you're thinking about. A beautiful place."

"So this is just a dream."

It was Jenny's turn to shrug. "You could say that."

"Director Shepard—"

"You're getting sleepy?" Jenny asked. "I know. But don't you want to wait for Gibbs or Tony or Ziva?"

After lying back to the casket, McGee frowned. "Who?" he asked, unable to recognize any of the names mentioned to him. Whoever they were, they might have been important before along with Miss Sciuto. He couldn't remember them anymore, so it didn't matter now.

"Good night, agent McGee," Jenny said.

"Good night, Director Jenny," he muttered inattentively. McGee allowed the darkness to carry him away again. By then, everything turned to nothing.

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The labored breathing underneath the ground, raspy and desperate it was, had ceased. There was only the sound of the tip of the shovel prying through the soil and clicking against the casket's lid. There was also the deafening peace that began to dominate.

And the silence of McGee's previously beating heart.

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**I do hope that you would leave reviews. A lot of people have put (?) an alert on this story, yet there's only one or three people saying something…**

**Beside that, one more chapter to go! =P **


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer:**__** NCIS and its characters do not belong to me. It belongs to Bellisarius Productions and its associates. All I ever owned here was the story and the OCs.**_

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Gibbs kept digging despite the intense strain on his arms. Ziva and Tony were at either side of him, using their bare hands hurriedly to part the mud. They were close. The wan blue color of the lid was visible. Gibbs' heart pounded loud, caused by both exhaustion and anticipation. The tip of the shovel clicked against the lid as he burrowed it deeper.

Tony descended towards it and kept removing the excess soil. "Hang on, Probie," he breathed out while he sought for the edge of the casket. Finally, when he found it, he quickly forced it open.

McGee's face, he saw, was alarmingly pale, save the pool of red at the side of his head. His eyes were closed as if he was just sleeping. Above all, his chest was immobile. Tony thought that he was only imagining these. He was too tired to notice that McGee was alive.

Ziva watched as Tony and Gibbs struggle to get McGee out of the casket. Even if one of them slipped, the other continued to hold on. She wanted to help them, but found out that she couldn't. She was cemented. Seeing McGee's head lull lifelessly to the side reminded her of other people who were exactly like him. Michael. Ari. Thalia. All of the people who she held close to her heart, gone. Tim needed not be with them, but it appeared that it was too late.

"McGee, wake up. Tim," Gibbs said after kneeling beside him, lightly shaking his agent's motionless body. Even if the cold raindrops collided with his lukewarm cheeks, McGee didn't move. "McGee. Come on." He sought for a pulse. First, on his neck. Nothing. He checked his wrist next. He stopped.

Tony and Ziva waited for Gibbs to declare that McGee was fine, that they made it in time. They were successful in saving him. However, between the heaved breathing was only a remorseful silence. Gibbs looked up at them quietly and then, he shook his head. No pulse.

Tony kicked the ground lividly. "No," he muttered, pushing the word through his gritted teeth. "Probie." There were countless of instances before when McGee have saved him from an absolute end, and he thought that it was unfair. _He _had been unfair, because the only time Tim needed his help, he failed to save him.

"He is not dead," Ziva said then stood up. "We can still save him."

"Ziva," Tony said.

Ziva made her way towards McGee. She kneeled beside him, and checked his pulse again. She was met by stillness. She lifted his chin, tilted his head backwards, opened his mouth and then, she breathed air into him. _Yeah. It means I'm not the newbie anymore, _she recalled McGee telling her on her first day working at NCIS. She pushed down on his chest several times. _I'm just glad you're alive, _he told her when they were in Somalia. She listened to his breathing. There was only silence. She breathed into him once more. "Tim. Come on," she said.

"Ziva," Tony held her arms gently to stop her, then took her away from McGee's side. "Ziva, it's not—"

Coughing. It was muffled, but there was someone coughing. All three of them turned to McGee and saw that his eyebrows were creased as he grasped for the cold air that blanketed the cemetery. "Tony. Call an ambulance," Gibbs commanded, determined not to tear his eyes away from the young man.

Tony nodded with hesitation, unsure on whether he should follow the order given to him or stay by McGee's side.

"Tim? Tim, can you hear me?" Gibbs asked.

"Y…Yes…" McGee breathed out, although it was doubtful that he have regained full consciousness. "I'm just…"

"Do not try to speak, Tim," Ziva said, a relieved smile gradually permeating through her face. "Save your energy."

"I…n-need to ge…get out," McGee insisted.

"You're already out. There's no need for that," Gibbs said. "You're safe now."

McGee coughed violently for a moment, and it created a stir for Gibbs and Ziva. Then, he eased up. "Tha…Thanks," he breathed out, directing his words towards Gibbs. "Thanks, Jenny."

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The lighting inside McGee's hospital room was dim. It only revealed the sterile bed and the patient that slumbered calmly on it. The green floor underneath it, dreary and placid, only lied in expectation. Blinds abound the wide windows facing the hall, although they were opened this time so that the room could be seen clearly outside.

Gibbs stood in at the other side of the window, watching as Abby and Ducky enter the room. He was unable to hear what they were saying clearly after they closed the door, but it was evident that Abby, after taking a quick glance at McGee, was close to breaking down. Walking by her side, Ducky led her forward.

"I never thanked you for saving my son, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs did not have to turn around to know who it was. "You owe it all to Ziva. Not to me," he answered.

Matthew McGee smiled wearily. "I've already told her that we were," he said. He glanced at Ziva, who was currently being hugged tightly by his wife. "Your team was Tim's second family, and you made sure he was fine." He scoffed wryly. "Unlike me. I should've been there when it happened."

"You were where you were supposed to be," Gibbs said, still focused on McGee, Abby, and Ducky. "If any of you got into any trouble, that would've made things harder." Matthew nodded solemnly, his gratefulness undiminished. "What did the doctors say?" Gibbs asked.

Matthew sighed. "He's out of danger, they're sure of that," he answered, all of a sudden sounding exhausted. "But they're not sure what effects did being buried underground had on him. They said they won't know until he wakes up. It could be something, it could be nothing."

"Something?" Gibbs repeated.

"Brain damage," Matthew answered, slightly wincing at the mention of the words. "They said that it was a possible effect because of the lack of oxygen."

Gibbs thought of the idea as ridiculous. But then again, there was a part of him that insisted the possibility of this. McGee _did _call him Jenny, but it didn't serve as an evidence that he was loosing his mind. He was responsive, and that was enough reassurance that he would be fine.

He knew it would be so.

Once again, he scrutinized the whole room. Abby had enveloped McGee's right hand with her palms, while Ducky stood with a sad smile on his face. He noticed that rain was still pouring because of the small space between the two still curtains. The heart monitor beeped dutifully inside the room, the colorful lines on the screen climbing up and plunging down rhythmically. The corner chairs, worn out by bearing both the various visitors and their possessions, rested silently.

And a long-stemmed black rose, full of its melancholy and loveliness, lied in wait atop the gleaming night stand.

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_**I know that some of you might not have liked this ending, but it's the best I could come up with. I'm sorry… =( **_

**Anyways, thanks for all of you who read this, who put this on your favorites, who put an alert and most of all, left a review. I cannot say thanks enough! **

**Drop a review for me and tell me what you think! =D **


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